Traditional bicycles generally include two wheel assemblies: one for powering the bicycle and one for steering. Bicycles with various types of wheel assemblies have been designed for use in different situations, environmental conditions, and varying terrain. Typically, these bicycles are designed such that a specific type of wheel assembly can be fixed to the bicycle frame to achieve its intended purpose, which may make the bicycle as a whole specialized for a particular purpose.
Bicycles with fixed type wheel assemblies, or the particular-purpose bicycles, may be limited to use when the environment or road condition is suitable. For example, inclement weather conditions such as snow or ice, which are frequently experienced during the long winter season in northern areas, can substantially limit the utility of the Particular-purpose bicycles, thereby reducing their overall value to the users. The users of a particular-purpose bicycle may be forced to own recreational equipment of various types so that they can choose the proper equipment according to the weather conditions and selected terrain. This can be costly and inconvenient to the users. For example, a multitude of recreational vehicles can occupy a large storage space.
Multi-purpose bicycles have been proposed in which the front wheel assembly can be removed from the front fork assembly and replaced with a different assembly such as a ski. Although this approach attempts to address the functional limitations of the bicycles with a specific type of wheel assemblies, the replacement typically requires the user to disassemble the original configuration, and then reconfigure the bicycle for a different use whenever the user wishes variety or the conditions necessitate. The reconfiguration process can be time consuming and may require special tools or skills in order to complete the reconfiguration.
A bicycle with quick release wheel hub assemblies can allow a user to reconfigure the bicycle from a wheel to a different attachment such as a ski without the use of tools. However, the quick release wheel hub assemblies are prone to unintentional wheel release during use, increasing the risk of injury. Therefore, the present inventor has recognized that there remains a considerable need for a multi-purpose bicycle for use in various environmental conditions, and methods for configuring or reconfiguring such a bicycle to other desired forms of recreational equipment with improved efficacy a n d safety.